Professor Layton VS Phoenix Wright: The Heavenly Scheme
by kk61
Summary: When Phoenix Wright takes a case out of the blue and accidentally indicts Miles Edgeworth as the killer, Professor Layton shows up to take him on a grand adventure that takes them both across the two kingdoms of the afterlife. They must overcome the trials of heaven and hell in order to save Edgeworth and expose the conspiracy threatening these worlds.
1. Phoenix's Greatest Mistake

Amidst the candlelight, a figure sits cross-legged on a bed, head held high, penning an entry in his diary.

"This is a very holy place. I love it, in the name of the Holy Father..."

"Hello!"

A GUNSHOT! And then... nothing.

 **Chapter 1: Phoenix's Greatest Mistake**

The doors of the courtroom lobby swung open, and a blue-suited lawyer cartwheeled in. "I am READY for this trial!"

Phoenix Wright glanced over his court record, prepared to examine the evidence, only discover he had zilch. Not even his badge, which he would otherwise wear proudly upon his lapel, was nowhere to be seen. He slowly straightened up, aware of the bailiff's inquisitive stares, as reality settled in. He swung back in despair. "I'm NOT ready!" he exclaimed, and in that moment, he felt himself spiral down the stairs of hierarchy from a noble attorney to Moe the Clown.

"Aww, you're not?" asked the bewildered defendant, a professional researcher of the afterlife and other such supernaturalities known by many as Dr. Heavens. "You're killing me here, man!"

Phoenix shook his head, but it was no surprise. The fact was, he had only taken this case at the very last possible second. That is to say, he was just strolling around the court this morning when this scientist, without any other attorney, requested his services. Phoenix knew nothing of this case except what Dr. Heavens managed to spit out. The victim was a priest by the name of Father Beleef. Heavens had been arrested in his sleep when the police showed up. As for the details, he would have to find out come the trial, which was just about to start.

Phoenix opened the doors and stepped into the grand courtroom, taking his place at the defense bench as always. The gavel sounded, and the trial began. Phoenix knew his situation was not ideal, so he knew what he must do.

"The defense isn't ready, Your Honor, give me a day to investigate," said Phoenix.

"Too bad," said the judge. "Is the prosecution ready?"

The ghost of Miles Edgeworth smirked, amused by Phoenix's incompetence. Phoenix could not help be frustrated by Edgeworth's smug demeanor; _that is quite the attitude to have towards the man who burnt you to death with a candle_ , he thought, but he kept his thoughts to himself. With all formalities out of the way, Edgeworth began his opening statement.

"The victim is a priest at the local church named Father Beleef. The priest was holed up in his chambers last night when he was suddenly shot in the head. We immediately arrested the defendant in his sleep. As for my case against him... I'll let the detective do all the talking."

At that moment, a magnificent man descended from the ceiling, gently carried down by angles from heaven.

"Helloooo, my awe-struck audience, I am Detective Jakkid and I am the man who investigated this horrific homicide!"

The judge was taken aback. "Detective Jakkid166? Why! I ought to declare my verdict now if YOU investigated this case!"

 _Is that a good thing_ , Phoenix wondered, as the detective began his testimony.

 **Cross Examination: Detective Jakkid's** **Conclusion**

"This murder is no simplistic slaughter, you see. What the priest was murdered in was none other than an impossible locked room."

"Hold it!" Phoenix shouted, already on the verge of giving up. "But there must have been a way for him to have been killed!"

"There was none," said Jakkid, giving a sly grin. "It was impossible for anyone to have murdered the victim."

Phoenix extended a pointed finger, but it slowly drooped back where it came from. There was none!

"Nick!" shouted Maya, taking him by surprise. How long had she been there, right next to him? "You need to think!"

 _Think, huh?_ Phoenix considered Maya's words. Actually, there certainly seemed to be something the impressive detective had overlooked in his reasoning. In fact, it was a blatant contradiction in his words.

"Objection!" Phoenix exclaimed in an instant. The adrenaline was overwhelming, and he pressed forward with all the might he could.

"Who are YOU pointing at?" Jakkid tilted his head in a snide manner.

"You, my friend," Phoenix returned the gesture. "Because you see, Jakkid you have just made a fatal mistake. If it was impossible for anyone to have committed the crime, then it must have been impossible for Mr. Heavens to commit it too!"

"Objection!" shouted Edgeworth. "Okay, but it was possible for _Dr_. Heavens to have done it."

Jakkid nodded towards the ghost, appreciating the helping hand. "Listen to the prosecutor, little man. Dead men may tell no tales, but this one sure does. There is something quite special about Dr. Heavens..."

 **Cross Examination: Dr. Heavens**

"The dastardly Dr. Heavens was still inside the locked room when the police discovered the body."

Phoenix felt his will to live droop into the earth. Heavens hadn't told him this. What the hell?

"Nick!" shouted Maya, startling him once again.

"What?" he shouted back.

"You NEED to think!"

 _Think, huh?_ Phoenix considered Maya's words again. Actually, this was a stretch, but there was something that both Heavens and Edgeworth had told him that seemed odd when listening to this argument. In fact, yet again, it was a contradiction!

"Objection!" shouted Phoenix, pointing again. "Detective Jakkid, you are not at all the investigator you make yourself out to be!"

"Why say you this, might you break my indestructible illumination?" Jakkid smirked, but Phoenix shrugged his nonsensical ramblings off.

"Simply put, Detective, the defendant was arrested in his sleep! That being the case, how must have gotten OUT of the locked room!"

"But how did he do that?" asked the Judge.

"He didn't," Jakkid chimed in before Phoenix could respond. "There is a simple solution to this predicament."

"Yes...?" Phoenix leaned forward in anticipation.

"It means his sleep was inside the locked room."

There was an eerie moment of silence as everyone processed what Jakkid just argued.

"Accepted," said the judge.

"What even...?" Phoenix felt an intense sweat brewing upon his forehead. This Detective had the judge in the palm of his hand. How could such reasoning hold up in court? Who is this man? But that didn't matter to Phoenix. What did matter was tearing down the detective's logic, no matter what it took!

 **Cross Examination: No Other Suspects**

"You can point and shout as much as your lungs can handle," Jakkid shrugged. "It is impossible for anyone else to have murdered Father Beleef."

Phoenix had never wanted to go home to bed any more than he did at this very moment. He kneeled down, placed his hand over his face, and took a deep breath.

"NICK!" yelled Maya, this time into his ear, startling him once again! "You NEED to THINK!"

 _Dammit, Maya, what else can I do...?_ Phoenix silently wept. _No human being could have killed Father Beleef..._

In that moment, Phoenix remembered who he was. He was Phoenix Wright. He defended animals, he faced fire-breathing dragons and the Devil himself, he explored underground caves, he traveled to many different universes, and among those adventures was...

Phoenix jolted up and objected! He was ready to tear this case wide open, whether the magic-denying skeptics liked it or not!

"You say it was impossible for anyone else to have done it, but there is a clear suspect here!" He pointed! "Edgeworth! It was you!"

"WHAT?" Now it was Jakkid's turn to be surprised.

"What the devil are you talking about, Phoenix?" Edgeworth, too, was shocked.

"You see, Edgeworth, you are a ghost! Ghosts can walk through walls! YOU could have done it!"

"This is a new low for you, Phoenix!" Edgeworth slammed his fist on the desk, only for it to phase right through it, landing instead between his legs. "You have accused me of killing a man with no evidence... unforgivable!"

"But you must have done it!" Phoenix pointed.

"Incorrect," Edgeworth shut him up. "In case you hadn't noticed, because I am a ghost, I would not have been able to use the gun!"

"Actually..." one of the policemen awkwardly shambled up to the witness stand. "We kinda sorta just found the murder weapon and... long story short, it's a ghost gun."

"WHAT? NOOOOOOOOO!" Edgeworth turned paler than he usually was, before the angles of heaven returned and carried him up to heaven.

Phoenix could only watch helplessly as his friend was carried away. They may have had quarrels before, even to the point where Phoenix killed him, but they were still best friends. Could it really be that Edgeworth killed a man? The verdict was handed down, and Phoenix silently walked out to the defendant's lobby.

"You saved me man," Phoenix was met with the wide grin of Dr. Heavens. "You are the hero!"

"Yeah... thanks." Phoenix sighed. "I guess that was the truth, whether I like it or not..."

"Don't doubt yourself, Phoenix Wright... my old friend."

 _That voice..._ Phoenix turned to it's source, a top-hatted gentleman standing in the doorway.

"It is clear to me that whoever killed Dr. Heavens was a human. I am not one who believes in magic and witchcraft, after all."

"But Edgeworth actually is-"

"Whatever Mr. Edgeworth is is irrelevant. You place your trust in him, do you not?"

"Yes..."

"Then we shall go out there and prove it to the world, prove that Mr. Miles Edgeworth is not the one who killed Father Beleef!"

Phoenix stared into the beady eyes of his old friend. He was mad, insane even. But he was sincere, confident that they would succeed. It reminded him of his days adventuring in Labyrinthia. With that, he extended his hand and shook the professor's, solidifying their reunited front. After shaking, the professor turned his head toward the acquitted defendant.

"Will you aid us on our quest, Dr. Heavens?"

"Yeah!" Dr. Heavens pumped his fists. "Come on down to my lab later, I have just the thing to help!"

A chuckle formed under Dr. Heaven's breath, and he ran away as his chuckle became a cackle. The professor nodded his head, satisfied.

"With the two of you at my side, we will surely prevail!" said Phoenix.

 **To be continued...**


	2. Looking Around

Sunlight flooded the Wright & Co. Law Offices as Phoenix opened the curtains before taking a seat next to Charley the houseplant. Across from him sat Professor Layton, who had just put down the phone.

"What's the plan?" asked Phoenix, brimming with potential to save his friend.

"Our plan is a simple one," said Layton. "You see, Dr. Heavens is an old friend of mine, we go way back. Today, he researches the worlds of Heaven and Hell in his private laboratory."

"Edgeworth wouldn't go to Hell, he's a good man," said Phoenix. To this, Layton nodded.

"For sure. Therefore, we must go into heaven and bargain with God to release him. Dr. Heavens will help with that."

Phoenix stood up, grabbing his coat as he did so. "Then what are we waiting for?"

The professor stood up too, readjusting his hat. "Let us way to the Heaven Research Center!"

 **Chapter 2: Looking Around**

Professor Layton went first as he heaved open the heavy steel door, leading Phoenix into a most unusual room. Instead of beakers and test tubes full of strange chemicals, there were crosses and magic circles. Phoenix felt he should have brought a bible instead of case documents.

"Are you sure this is the place, Professor?" asked Phoenix.

"It is indeed. Now, we must seek out Dr. Heavens."

Phoenix did not know where to start, and he was already awe-struck by what he had seen so far. None of this equipment looked like what he would expect to find in a lab, though there were notes on the afterlife covering the walls. One thing caught his eye, though. There, opposite the door they came in through, was a barred off area. Phoenix approached the bars and looked through them; a dark stairway leading to what he could only describe as the abyss. Feeling entranced by the void of the darkness, he stuck his hand out to the bars-

"Hello my buddies!"

The bars swung open, hitting Phoenix's head with a clang, and there stood Dr. Heavens! Phoenix struggled to gather his thoughts, but he was already overwhelmed; _where did he just come from?_ One second the stairway had contained not even a soul, the next, there was Heavens! Was this the effects of his heavenly research at play?

"Ah, Dr. Heavens, my old friend," Layton tipped his hat toward his old friend, not seeming to notice Phoenix's mild head injury. "You told me over the phone that you believed Edgeworth had been taken to Heaven, is that correct?"

"Oh, it is without a doubt correct, Layton," said Heavens. "It all comes down to my gathering of information on Heaven, as well as Edgeworth's karma score. Heaven accepts anyone who holds basic morals into their kingdom, meaning just about anyone can get in. Edgeworth is a prosecutor, which would normally give anyone a bad score, but he is no Gaspen Payne, you see. He is a man who sought the truth in life and even death. A gentleman with perfect manners, such as yourself, he was an avid player of chess, he had a positive karma score on reddit, and most importantly, I saw the angles carrying him up to heaven with my own two eyes."

"Shouldn't that last part have come first...?" Phoenix muttered, rubbing his head in pain. Heavens chuckled.

"I see my analysis has left you with a severe headache, Mr. Wright! Let us get down to business."

Phoenix resisted the urge to point out he was in physical pain and followed Heavens and Layton to a large screen. "So, are we gonna be going to heaven or what?"

"Naturally, getting into heaven should not be easy," said Heavens. "However, with the use of my latest invention, we should be able to skip the usual procedures."

Heavens struck a button on the control panel in front of him, and the screen lit up, showing the model of a car, one not too different in appearance to the Laytonmobile.

"I have designed a car based on the professor's very own that is capable of flying into the sky and, with enough energy generated, tear a hole between our world and Heaven.

"In other words, we can travel to the Heaven universe?" said Layton.

"I don't get it, why don't we just fly up to the clouds?" asked Phoenix.

"Now then," Heavens ignored Phoenix's ignorant suggestion, "forming a portal requires quite a bit of speed to be built up. Fortunately, I've already had the thing building it up for the last few hours, so it won't take long."

Phoenix groaned. "I'm gonna go investigate the crime scene, call me when you're done all that."

Phoenix left Layton and Heavens to catch up as he stepped out of the lab and into the drizzling rain. Conveniently, the church where Father Beleef was murdered was not far from Heavens' lab. Stopping briefly to let the cars pass, Phoenix ran across the street and pushed his way past the double doors into the warmth of the church. _Nice place,_ he thought, _except for the part where the priest was killed._

He took a moment to take in his surroundings, before becoming aware of a meek presence behind him. He turned, and there stood a small, bald, hunch-backed man who looked to be in his sixties scrubbing the floor behind him. His brush met Phoenix's feet and he glanced up, looking him in the eye.

"Hi there, could you step back a bit so I could clean the spot under you?" Phoenix stepped back and the man scrubbed the spot clean. He looked up again. "Could you move again? Sorry about this..."

"You are forgiven by the Holy Father," someone said as Phoenix stepped back again. He turned to the source of the voice and saw, sitting in the aisle, a younger, strangely dressed man with a wooden guitar, a short beard and long brown hair. "You said sorry, Simon McLean, so you are cleansed of your sins."

Phoenix smirked, but tried to be as quiet as he could. While he dared not say it out loud, the name sounded quite similar to Simon Clean. Cleany, however, was taken aback. "Who are ya and how do ya know my name?" he shouted.

"There is no need to shout in the house of the lord," the man winked. "I am... uh, Pray Everyday, how 'bout that?"

Cleany held up a fist. "How do ya know my name? I'm warning ya, I've ya've been following me..."

The man shook his head reassuringly. "There is no need to be afraid. I was merely told in a message from an angle."

Cleany nodded, content, and continued cleaning as Pray placed his hands together in prayer once more.

"So..." Phoenix broke the silence. "Either of you know what happened to Father Beleef?"

"He died," said Cleany. Phoenix waited for elaboration. It did not come.

"Okay, but, what exactly happened to him?"

"He was shot," Cleany said again.

 _This guy's gonna be a pain in the rear..._ Phoenix sighed. "Okay, how about this: Who killed him?"

"Dr. Heavens!" Pray darted up. "That heaven-researching scientist Dr. Heavens was the fiend who ended the life of that devout follower of the Holy Father."

"But he was proven innocent!" Phoenix retorted.

Pray gave a moment of consideration, and yielded. "In that case, I do not know."

"You weren't told in a message from an angle?"

"Listen, man, this stuff has it's rules, okay? Now, I'm trying to pray here..."

Phoenix backed off, letting the man continue his prayers, when Cleany walked up to him, looking as if he had something meaningful to say.

"The killer is no one."

 _So much for that,_ thought Phoenix. He walked by before Cleany dragged him back.

"The killer is NO ONE!" he said again.

"Stop saying incoherent nonsense that I cannot understand. What do you mean by that?"

"It means nobody killed the priest."

Phoenix did not expect this. He stared at the elderly gent, unable to process how this could be.

"If you do not believe me," Cleany spread his arms around, "then please, examine the church in detail. There is one thing, or rather, lack thereof that backs up what I just said."

Phoenix looked around. It seemed Cleany was challenging him with a puzzle. _If only the professor were here,_ he thought. All around him were paintings of people who looked oddly similar to Pray Everyday. There were also crosses and bibles and candles, all sorts of things you'd expect to find in a church. But what could prove that the killer was no one? What does that even mean? Did the priest kill himself? Did a ghost kill him? Did Hemlock kill him? Many ideas crossed his mind, but he dearly hoped he did not mean the ghost of Edgeworth killed him.

With no idea what Cleany meant, Phoenix grabbed his head in his hands and stared, in despair, at the floor-

"Yes, yes, you found it, congratulations sir!" Cleany patted him on the back, giving him a great fright.

"What? What did I find?" Phoenix gasped. "Do you mean my hair?"

"No, silly, the floor! If someone came here and killed Father Beleef, then why aren't the killer's footprints on the floor?"

Phoenix had another look, and immediately saw what Cleany meant. There was a clear path leading to Father Beleef's chambers, but not a single footprint in sight.

"But wait," said Phoenix, "shouldn't Beleef's footprints be there, at least?"

"Actually," said Pray, listening in on the conversation, "Father Beleef had been in his chambers for weeks before he was murdered."

"Maybe he starved?" Phoenix suggested.

" **Father Beleef did not starve,** " said Pray. Then, realizing Phoenix probably did not get it, he added on, "there's a hole in his head, not his stomach, after all."

That was a good point, it was clearly a murder no matter how much Phoenix sliced it. But if the killer didn't leave footprints behind, then there was surely no way the culprit could be human. But Edgeworth wasn't a ghost, capable of simply flying over the floor. And, of course, Edgeworth's prosecutor, whoever he may be, was probably already aware of this. Great.

"I wish you luck in proving your friend's innocence," Pray gave him a warm smile. It was strange to Phoenix how he knew what he was here for, but he must've simply heard that in a message from an angle. Deciding there was nothing else to hear from these two, Phoenix requested to borrow the key to the priest's chambers. Cleany immediately produced said key and gave it to him, under the condition he bring it back as soon as we was done.

With the key in hand, Phoenix unlocked the door and stepped, for the very first time, into the crime scene. He locked the door behind him and got to work. There was so much to take in, he did not know where to begin. The first thing he took note of was the disturbed bed. It seemed Father Beleef was sleeping here, which made sense, considering what Pray just told him. This was also likely why Detective Jakkid thought Heavens' sleep was in this room.

Next, right beside the bed, was a small, humble desk. On it were pens, paper and the priest's diary, lying open on an unfinished entry. It was not in Phoenix's moral code to read it, however, for a diary is private.

On the other side of the room was a closed window. It did not seem like it could be opened or closed from the outside, so clearly this place was designed by competent architects. The room was on the ground floor, making it visible from the street, but no witnesses had come forward despite this.

As he examined the bookshelf, something caught his eye. There, above him, was a globe. But what was special about this globe was a button right at the bottom. He jumped on a stool that was lying nearby, stood on his toes and pressed it. A rumbling was heard, and when he looked behind him, where the bookshelf once stood now displayed a secret passage out of the crime scene! He walked through it, thankful that he was not heavily allergic to dust, and when he finally emerged out into the light...

"Heya," said Cleany.

 _Very interesting,_ Phoenix pondered this discovery. _A secret passage between the church and the victim's chambers..._

Phoenix returned to the room, noting that the passage was a bit less dusty than before, and had another look at the crime scene, still full of minor nooks and crannies to explore. Yet, he shook his head.

"Well, seems like the diary and this passage are all I'm gonna get out of this place."

In that moment, a burst of laughter exploded within the room! It was a cackling, earth-shattering laugh, one like never before or since! And when Phoenix's soul repaired itself just enough to return to reality he saw, underneath the priest's desk, a little man who looked remarkably similar to that pedophile he met at the circus. When the man became aware that Phoenix's gaze was upon him, he slapped himself.

"Oh, you got me. And here I thought I had the best hiding place ever, but then you told the most perfect joke that forced me to laugh, giving myself away," the man sighed. "You are a cunning man, sir. I acknowledge you as a worthy opponent and my eternal rival."

"GET OUT FROM UNDER THERE!" shouted Phoenix, to which the man complied. The man tried to walk past him, but Phoenix backed him into a corner. "Who are you?"

"My name is Luke Round, what's it to you?"

"Nice to meet you, I'm Phoenix Wright... the attorney on this case."

"Uh oh!" Luke tried to run, but Phoenix wasn't going to let that happen.

"Now, Mr. Round, I'd like you to explain what you're doing here on the crime scene."

For a moment, Luke had nothing to say. He then nervously let out the first answer he could think of. "I like going into other people's rooms and throwing parties with myself."

 **Dunnn!**

The instant Luke closed his mouth, the world around him inverted in color. The world faded away and when only Luke remained, large chains enveloped him, held together by three big, red locks. It had been a while since Phoenix last seen these, but those were clearly Psyche Locks. There was only one thing to do. Holding firmly onto his magatama, he focused as hard as he could on the leftmost lock and prepared to break it.

"You're throwing a party with yourself... well, I suppose that's half-believable, but when exactly did you get in here?"

Luke said nothing, just let his eyes dart around the room.

"You weren't here when I came in, you know," said Phoenix.

"Uhhhhhhhhhhhh..." Luke expressed an exaggerated pose as he thought very hard about this.

"You only came in just now, but then the question is, how did you do that?" asked Phoenix. "After all, the door is locked, and I have the key."

"I-I'm a ghost, just like that murderer."

Phoenix shook his head. "You're no ghost. There was an easy way for you to get in here."

Phoenix stepped back onto the stool, not letting Luke out of his sights, and pressed the button on the globe. Once again, the secret passage opened.

"This passage doesn't seem to have any way to be opened from outside, but just a few minutes ago, I opened it myself. When I came out from this passage then, you must have sneaked past. That was when and how you got in here!"

Luke grunted, and one of the locks shattered into a million little pieces. He quickly regained his composure.

"Okay fine, that's how I got in. Let's party!" he nervously raised his arms and did a little dance, but Phoenix wasn't catching his beat.

"You're not here to party. On the contrary, you are here to look around."

"How do you know that?"

"Listen to your name, Luke Round! It's a clever pun on "look around!""

Another lock broke! Now only the center lock remained.

"You devious little man!" Luke glared, clearly afraid that his secrets were about to be revealed. "If I'm here to looked around, then what am I looking for?"

"In this little crime scene full of interesting books and details, there's only one thing you could be interested in!" Phoenix pointed. He then pulled his arm back and slapped it on the desk. "This desk, which you were hiding under, has the priest's diary. You sneaked in to read it, you magnificent scumbag!"

"IT'S NOT TRUUUUUUUUUUE!" Luke screamed to the heavens, causing the final lock to crumble away. The chains retracted and the truth had finally come out.

"Okay, you got me," Luke sighed. "I was just walking by this church last night when I saw him furiously writing in the thing while hanging his head up to the sky in prayer. I was wondering what could be so important that he would write while in prayer and, since he's dead, I figured he wouldn't mind me having a look."

Phoenix looked back at the diary, still lying open on the desk. It was against his principles to read it, but now it was really calling out to him. Could it be that a clue was lying right there in front of him? Did the police miss crucial evidence because of basic manners? He looked back to Luke, towering over the pathetic man.

"Alright, get out of here, I'm not giving you this diary."

Luke cried a little as he ran out through the secret passage. _And now,_ Phoenix walked to the desk, _to see what Father Beleef wrote in his diary._

He looked at the bloodied page and read what was still legible.

"WOAH WOAH WOAH WHAT'S THIS NOW?" shouted Phoenix. "THIS IS CASE-BREAKING EVIDENCE WHAT THE HELL HOW DID THE POLICE MISS THIS I'M GONNA ARREST THAT "BEST DETECTIVE EVER" BUT FIRST I GOTTA GET THIS TO LAYTON!"

He picked up the diary and ran to the door, sticking the key into the keyhole and... it didn't unlock?

Phoenix looked down at the handle, trying to pull the door open. It did not budge. _Oh well,_ he shrugged, _I still have another way out of here._

Phoenix jumped on the stool again and pressed the button, opening the passage which had closed since Luke left. He tapped his forehead, proud of how well he could use his brain. That was when he heard the explosion, and in the following moment, his near-lifeless body hit the floor.

 _What... happened...?_ Phoenix saw nothing but white. _I'm so... cold... The redness drip drip drips down like rain... Can it really be...? I've savagely consumed the most deadly of poisons... I've braved the fall from the heights of the mountains... and then I got shot up again by a raging vehicle. I've battled witches and fascist monarchies, saved the multiverse from four ambitious villains, saved a goat from accusations of black magic... no!_

Phoenix felt the demons rise from the ground, pulling his spirit into the earth. He waved his hand around, looking for something latch onto. His hand closed around a leather object, grabbed on, but only carried it into the earth with him.

 _This can't be the end! I'm Phoenix Wright, dammit! I am invincible! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!_


	3. The Sciences of the Afterlife

The professor soaked in the warmth of his tea, sitting across from Dr. Heavens, who was rabbiting on about his scientific research. It was in Layton's moral code to pretend to be interested in whatever one is speaking of, but if there was one thing that had not changed in those 18 years since he was traumatized for life, it was that his soul still didn't always have to care. He brought the cup towards his lips slowly, before Heavens jolted upright, arm stretched before his eyes in an exaggerated manner.

"Well well, will ya look at the time?" said Heavens. "The Heavenly Transporter is ready for launch, gentlemen."

"You say gentlemen," said Layton, "but there is no one else here but I."

"What?" shouted Heavens, eyes darting around nervously. "Where on earth did Phoenix go?"

Layton took out his phone and tried dialing his number, to no avail. It was most strange, it's not like Phoenix to not answer his calls.

"He told me he was going to investigate the crime scene, perhaps I should go and get him," Layton stood up and headed for the door, but halted when he felt Heavens' hand on his shoulder.

"There's no time for that, Layton!" said Heavens quickly. "If the transporter builds up too much speed, it could shoot you right past Heaven and trap you, forever, in limbo!"

Layton looked back, and could see that Heavens wasn't joking. There, upon his face, was a look of grave concern. "We could, however, cease the buildup now, but then it would have to start again from the very bottom!" Heavens continued. "Note that I need to sleep during this time, so it could well take a whole day before we can use it again!"

Layton tipped his hat, concealing his face in it's shadow. He understood what Heavens was saying; they can't keep Edgeworth waiting. Phoenix may not be here, but they still had himself. Layton shook his head. "It isn't right, but I suppose I will have to do."

"Good!" Heavens clapped his hands and gently nudged Layton out the door. "The Heavenly Transporter is in the garage, make haste before it becomes your jailbird!"

Layton rushed out the door towards the garage, a shabby building located across the road from the lab. He looked behind him as he approached it. The lab was clearly as old as the city itself. The lower half of the building was in a state of utter disrepair, and the top floor was even worse; shattered windows boarded up by planks of wood. And the roof... Layton was suddenly overcome with a strange feeling of nausea and looked away, but not without the thought echoing in his mind increasing drastically in volume: _Where is Phoenix?_

Layton pressed a button on the garage wall, and the door slowly opened with a rusty screech. Inside was the last thing Layton expected to see from this garage: a car, one modeled after the Laytonmobile at that! Fortunately, as his previous adventures had shown, the Laytonmobile is capable of many feats, from scaling fortresses to soaring the skies, so he had little fear seating himself behind the steering wheel.

"Layton, are you there?" Layton heard the distorted voice of Dr. Heavens echo inside the car.

"Yes, Heavens, I'm seated and ready to drive."

Heavens laughed from behind the speakers.

"Where you're going, you don't need to drive!"

An explosion rung out in the professor's ears and before he knew it he was blasting down the street at speeds previously thought impossible by any life on Earth. Layton glanced out the window to the side window and saw a trail of smoke and fire on the street behind him. He suddenly fell backwards slightly as the car angled upward and into the sky. He was flying! The Laytonmobile was blasting into space once again! For a moment, the car slowed down to speeds expected of a little plane, but then the unexpected happened: a green portal appeared before him! The professor screamed so loud he almost missed Heavens' reassurance that everything would be fine before he was cut off as the car entered the portal towards lands unknown. Assured that he would survive, the professor settled down and took out his cup, intent on sipping it clean at last.

 **Chapter 3: The Sciences of the Afterlife**

"AGH, MY TEA!" shouted the professor as the car came to a sudden halt, causing the professor to jolt forward, the cup of tea still in his hands. He looked out the window to see a foreign land, one unlikely to be found on any map. He slowly opened the door and crept out, unsure what to expect.

"Hello there."

Layton fell forward, catching himself with his hands and turning around to see a bearded man with a guitar standing over him, hands together in prayer.

"Who are you?" shouted Layton, prepared to defend himself.

The man laughed. "There is no need to scared, my child. I am Pray- I mean, I am Jesus Christ, son of the Holy Father."

Layton stood up, straightening his hat. "Professor Hershel Layton of Gressenheller University. I'm here to find a friend of a friend."

"What you need, Hershel Layton, is the spiritual service of the Holy Father!" At that moment, a magnificent man descended from the ceiling, gently carried down by the angles of heaven.

"You!" Layton grasped his hat, in awe of this revelation.

"Me!" said Detective Jakkid. "It is I, the marvelous maker of this fine universe! Or, your one at least." Jakkid gave a graceful bow, welcoming the professor to his kingdom.

"YOU are the Holy Father?" shouted Layton. Layton was a man of faith, but not even he could believe this.

"It is I, Detective Jakkid, who created this fine universe, yes!" Jakkid twirled a strand of hair. "So, Professor, you have come here to ask about Miles Edgeworth, is that so?"

Layton nodded. "He is a friend of Phoenix, and helping out a friend of a friend is the duty of every gentleman."

"Sir, are you aware that I am omnipotent, and thus, omniscient? I see all, I hear all, and I speak all too, since I have the ability to talk on and on and on." He chuckled, proud of his ability, not that Layton understood why.

"Is that so?" said Layton. "And that's why you accused Dr. Heavens first, right."

"It's because he did it! **Dr. Heavens murdered Father Beleef!** " shouted Jakkid. "...But I suppose Edgeghost will do as an alternative culprit."

 _That is odd,_ thought Layton, _why_ did _he think Heavens did it?_

"Anyway, the point is, that ghastly demonic soul is the perpetrator of this disastrous case. We know because I said so."

"Regardless, I intend to prove the contrary," said Layton, extending a finger towards his god.

"Sir, do you realize you are up against the Father, the Son and their favorite prosecutor? You haven't a ghost of a chance!"

"So I am, but that does not matter," Layton tipped his hat slightly, expressing his confidence. "For you see, not even utter omnipotence stands a chance against critical thinking!"

"We shall put those words to the test right this very second."

The world flashed before Layton's eyes and in the next moment, Jakkid was no longer in front of him; what he saw instead was a grand courtroom complete with big, white angel statues, extravagant white desks with a pool of water between them and, across the room, a blond, man in a blue vest, a light blue shirt underneath. On the witness stand was Jesus, waving his cross in a teasing manner as if to say 'You goin' down, hat man!' Finally, where the judge would be seated was Jakkid, polishing his monocle. He placed the monocle over his eye and sounded the gavel.

"Greetings, angles of heaven. Today we shall hold deliberations as to the fate of Miles Edgeworth," Jakkid announced. The angles all gathered around in the gallery, anxious to see the criminal ghost meet his fate. "First, allow me to introduce to you all my star prosecutor, Storm Sente!"

Storm pushed up his glasses, sending the professor a condescending smirk. "Prepare yourself, Layton, I was selected by Jakkid because I am the best."

"Enough of that, prosecutor," Jakkid smiled. "Let us hear your opening statement."

"There really is not much to say that we don't already know, My Lord," said Storm. "The victim is Father Beleef. He was a priest who was murdered in Saint Jesus' Church, and the police on Earth arrested Dr. Heavens for the murder. During the trial, though, the prosecutor Miles Edgeworth was proven to be the killer by Phoenix Wright. We have evidence from that trial, but that won't do much of the talking for me. I'll present it anyway."

Storm presented three pieces of evidence to the court, both of which had been presented in the first trial's preliminary hearing, not that Phoenix had heard about either of them. First was a white blanket on the bed, which had been disturbed. Jakkid had originally used this to deduce that the "sleep" Heavens spoke of was actually inside the locked room. Second was the lamp, which was turned on when the police arrived at the crime scene. It emitted yellow light. Third and finally was the ghost gun, a gun that can only be used by the undead. Bullets shot from it may still kill human targets, along with other side effects, such as turning the victim's vision completely white.

"Since Edgeworth was the only undead person involved in this case, only he could have done it," Storm surmised.

Layton took notes of the evidence in his court record. This did not bode well, it was true that Edgeworth was the only ghost involved in this case. Perhaps he could get away with accusing Storm? God forbid he accuse God himself...

"Very good," Jakkid applauded Storm's opening statement. "Now, there is one other definitive piece of evidence against the defendant, is there not?"

Storm nodded. "As per heaven traditions, we shall now proceed with delivering that to the court. Jesus, if you would?"

Jesus put down his cross and put his hands together.

"Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name! Thy insights come, thy shall present with us the spiritual seance!"

Upon hearing this prayer, the pool of water in the center of the court began glowing, flushing the court in a light of blue. When Layton stepped forward, he saw an image in the water. It was the image of what he could only assume to be the priest's study. The image showed a bookcase, a globe, and little else. There was green text with an unusual font, saying "Writing" and "Muttered Prayers." Nothing happened for a moment until, all of a sudden, the image become a solid block of white, and the green text vanished, being replaced with "Silence."

He looked up at Jesus, who strummed his guitar as he smiled at Layton, seeming to take pleasure in his look of disbelief.

 **Insight:**

"The priest was in his study being a holy man, saying his prayers while frantically writing in the Bible. His holy act came to an end when he was shot by Edgeworth's ghost gun."

"What is this madness?" shouted Layton.

"That was the Spiritual Seance, my man!" Jesus waved his cross again, which otherwise dangled from his chain necklace.

"The seance, as you just saw, shows us the final moments of the dead," said Storm. "That green text you saw represents what he heard."

Jakkid let out a booming laugh that echoed around the court. "Very well done, Jesus. I shall now render my verdict!"

"Hold it!" shouted Layton "If you'll allow me, Your Honor, I would like to... cross examine Jesus' interpretation of the seance!"

"What more is there to learn?" asked Storm. "As you just saw, nobody else was in the study. The door was locked. Only a ghost like Edgeworth could have gotten in and out, and as we just saw, his vision turned white. Therefore, the murder weapon must have been the ghost gun, in other words, only Edgeworth could have used the murder weapon! He is the only possible culprit!"

Jakkid shook his head. "If you insist, I suppose I cannot deny you the right to examine the seance."

Layton was thankful for this chance. _Now, to not mess it up!_

Jesus started up the seance again, and Layton paid close attention to every detail. The image barely moved until it turned white, so he was really just working with two images. What caught Layton's attention, though, was the sound. The victim heard nothing but complete silence when he was shot, which clearly contradicted what Jesus claimed!

"Objection!" shouted Layton. "So, this was the moment the victim was shot?"

"That is the idea behind the seance, my man," Jesus strummed his guitar, but Layton shook his head.

"Oh, but haven't you noticed? If the ghost gun was shot then, he should have heard the sound of the gunshot! And yet, he heard nothing! This means the ghost gun must not have been the murder weapon!"

"Objection!" shouted Storm. "Perhaps the victim had been deafened in some way."

"Objection!" shouted Layton. "But earlier in the seance, we see he is capable of hearing sounds as light as the pen on his paper! His hearing was clearly perfect, if not oversensitive! He could not have missed the gunshot!"

"T-Time to pray for forgiveness...!" Jesus' voice trembled.

Storm pushed up his glasses again, smirking. "Clever, Professor, but you have failed to consider that we have a witness to this crime."

"Very well, you may call the spirit of Luke Round," said Jakkid, already ahead of him. "His spirit of justice shall testify and once he is done, he shall return to Earth with no memory of this trial. Let the cross-examination begin!"

Jesus summoned the spirit of the man known as Mr. Round, and he nonchalantly began his testimony.

 **Cross Examination: Strolling Past the Church**

"I was strolling past the church at the time when I saw Beleef writing in his diary," said Luke. "The victim had his window closed, so he probably couldn't hear outside. Suddenly he blacked out, for he had been shot!"

"So you see," said Storm. "Edgeworth simply shot the victim from outside. Since the bullet was a ghost bullet, it would have went through the window without breaking it."

Layton was disturbed they managed to explain a contradiction like this, but held his composure together. "Why were you outside the church, anyway?"

"I needed to say my prayers," said Luke.

 _This man is so suspicious..._ thought Layton. However, he did not seem to have any evidence against him. What he did have, though, was an unusual contradiction. It was a bluff, to be sure, but he may just be able to pull it off. "One more question, witness. Why do you say he blacked out?"

"Your vision turns black when you die, and that's what he did," said Luke.

Storm gasped, and Layton knew he had seen it to. "But that can't be, witness! The victim should not have blacked out... he should have whited out!"

"What? What does this mean?" shouted Jakkid.

"It's very simple, My Lord," said Layton. "If the victim actually blacked out, then we can say for sure that the murder weapon was NOT a ghost weapon! Therefore, Edgeworth must be innocent!"

"Impossible!" shouted Jakkid.

"Exactly, My Lord, it's impossible," Storm pointed, not seeming desperate yet. "You are forgetting one thing, Professor Hershel Layton..."

 **Rebuttal: The Seance**

"Despite what the witness said, the divination seance clearly shows his vision turn white. Since there is no other way for his vision to turn white, the weapon must have been a ghost gun." Storm stated his argument clearly and concisely. Layton looked over the court record several times, but none of the evidence contradicted his argument. However, as he became more desperate and his eyes zoomed across the evidence more quickly, an idea came to him. If he combined the evidence, he may find a new fact. But what was there to work with? A gun, a blanket and a lamp... _Ah!_ he realized. _There is something I can do!_

Layton gathered all of his energy and pointed, sending a gust of wind into Storm's face, shutting him up immediately! _To turn the case around... that is what Phoenix Wright would do if he were here!_ thought Layton.

"What... what was that act of overt omnipotence?" shrieked Jakkid.

"Stop right there, Mr. Sente, I have your evidence, and it is most of what you presented! You see, if this blanket had been placed over the lamp, it would give out white light! All the culprit had to do after killing him, however it was done, was to pick up this blanketed lamp and put it right in his face! That was how the culprit framed Edgeworth!"

"The seance... was WRONG?" shouted Jakkid.

"I'm sorry, Father..." said Jesus.

"Don't... even... LOOK at me! Go to Hell! Literally, go to Hell, Jesus." Jakkid slammed his gavel on his desk, and Jesus burst into flames as the Devil dragged him into the earth. With that, Jakkid announced that Edgeworth would be released from the dungeons of Heaven and would be free to roam the Earth once more. Layton walked out of the court with the angles and found Edgeworth waiting for him outside.

"Thank you very much sir, much appreciated," Edgeworth gave a gentle bow to express his gratitude.

"Edgeworth, you didn't actually kill Father Beleef, did you?"

"No, however, I am not sure who did it any more. I was so sure it was Heavens, too..."

Layton gave a moment to think about this, but decided it would be best to leave any further investigation to Jakkid. The two of them got in the transporter, which had built up just enough speed to return them to Earth. The ride back was a lot less bumpier now that Layton wasn't frailing around in fright every five seconds, and soon, they were back in the skies of their home universe. Reaching land, though, was much bumpier, and the transporter ended it's journey by crashing into a large rock.

Layton dizzily scrambled out of the car and looked down upon it. It was still functional, but the impact had caused it to start building up speed from zero. Deciding he should probably turn that off, he fumbled around the control panel, not sure which button turned it off. He eventually resorted to pressing random buttons. Button A, nope. Button B, nope. Button C-

"Layton, is that you?" Heavens' voice again pierced the radio. "Thank goodness!"

"I did it, Dr. Heavens!" shouted Layton. "I saved Edgeworth!"

"That is the least of my concerns, Layton, you must get back to the office immediately!"

"What's the matter," asked Edgeworth, to which Heavens hesitated before speaking again.

"Phoenix is dead!"

"WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?" shouted the pair in the transporter.

 **To be continued...**


	4. A Deal with the Devil

Phoenix felt his consciousness drift around a sea of nothing. He saw nothing, heard nothing, smelled nothing, tasted nothing. All he felt was the leather object he had taken with him. What was this strange abyss of sensation he was feeling at this moment?

 _Where am I...?_ his thoughts let out.

Suddenly, laughter! A laugh so demonic it sent a chill down his spine, which was more than welcome given his situation.

"Oh, that is priceless. That is an actual thought you just had!" The voice of the laugh cackled at Phoenix's incompetence. "You are in hell! Ah ha ha!"

"Who's there?" Phoenix looked around for the source.

"Who else? It is I, Satan!" In that moment, the image of the devil appeared before Phoenix. "We meet again, Phoenix Wright!"

"Satan!" shouted Phoenix. "What do you want with me?"

"It is not me you should fear this time, buddy, but the deal I have come to you with." Satan grinned as he laid out a long piece of paper with lots of text. "You see, you were sent here by The Creator, but I'm kinda an enemy of that guy right now, so here's the deal: Either you suffer here for billions of years, or you can put your afterlife on the line for a chance to return to the land of the living, like Edgeworth did."

Phoenix glared at Satan, waiting for the conditions. Satan laughed, which gave Phoenix great unease. "Recently, there was a murder at the local gambling club. It is quite unsolvable, but if you can prove the innocence of the woman accused of this crime, you may return to Earth."

 _Sounds good to me,_ thought Phoenix.

"But if you lose the trial, you shall become my personal slave for the rest of time!"

Suddenly, Phoenix's confidence was drained. The stakes have risen as high as the sky, which is quite something considering they were underground. But he had to do it if he were to ever see Edgeworth again. Satan, reading his mind, took this as an acceptance of his challenge, made Phoenix's signature appear on the contract and teleported Phoenix into a row of dungeons.

 **Chapter 4: A Deal with the Devil**

For a moment there was naught but his footsteps ringing in his ears as he walked down the lifeless aisle until he finally came across a single cell that contained a specimen of life.

"Hello... Feenie." The specimen of life turned around, and what a specimen it was; a human being of the female gender, wearing a white dress under a head of red hair...

 _Oh no!_ Phoenix thought, but none of his fears could erase the fact that standing before him was his evil ex, Dahlia Hawthorne! "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

"By the way, it's too late to back out," Satan briefly teleported beside Phoenix to deliver this harrowing message, then disappeared sooner than he had arrived. Phoenix was left at a loss. What was he to do, but to advocate for a woman who killed men, women and children for fun? It would be like the civil trial during his Khura'in adventures where he accused an innocent knife-wielding revolutionary of the heinous act of murder, but this time instead of a slimy politician he was protecting an actual madwoman! She probably even did it, too!

What had gotten into him? Of course he wasn't going to do it! There must be a loophole in the contract that allowed him to seek the truth. But where was it? And would Satan even continue honoring the agreement if he went on to abuse it? The odds were astronomical, but possible.

"Oh, stop it," Dahlia said flatly. "Let me do the unthinkable and put you at ease."

Phoenix woke from his despair and looked Dahlia in the uncaring eyes. "What could you possibly do to reassure me?"

"I'm not the killer."

Phoenix looked through her eyes, not caring enough to actually look into them as if she were a normal human. Of course she would say that, she said that during his trial, too.

" **I'm not the killer, is that better?** " Dahlia said again, and this time the bold lettering had become an ominous shade of red, and Phoenix knew immediately that she was telling the truth! These must be the fabled powers of the dead that had been spoken about in the Holy Book of the Holy Mother!

Phoenix recalled the sacred passage in question. The demons of hell were "blessed," so to speak, by the powers of the red devil, Satan. What would appear to be in bold by humans of the living world would appear red to the dead. These red words, when strung into a sentence, would form an absolute truth that may not be ever disputed. In other words, Dahlia had just confirmed by use of the Red Truth that she was innocent! But how could this be?

"W-Wait!" Phoenix pointed. "Maybe you used a big complicated device that killed the victim!"

" **There were no complex devices that would allow me or anyone else to kill the victim indirectly,** " said Dahlia. " **The victim refers to the woman who was murdered in the Villains Club 5 minutes ago. "Anyone else" refers to the men who were also at the Villains Club at the time.** "

"Well, that was horrifyingly specific," said Phoenix. "But who are these men?"

"Wouldn't you like to know, Mr. Phoenix Wright?" Phoenix's blood ran cold. That was a voice he had heard countless times the past few weeks, and it was not one he welcomed. He turned. There he was; the demon-turned-ghost prosecutor, Manfred von Karma! Many times have these two lawyers faced off, be it in court or across dimensions. Phoenix had faced many villains in his lifetime, but this man was without a doubt the one worthy of being called his mortal enemy!

"Figures you would be prosecuting," Phoenix glared at von Karma. "I take it you're still friends with Satan?"

"Of course," grinned von Karma, "but that has little to do with it. It's only natural that Satan would want the best prosecutor in Hell involved in a case that could potentially destroy the existence of Phoenix Wright!"

 _I guess Satan's still bitter about his defeat in Bible World._ Phoenix felt the will to wilt to the floor. He may have defeated von Karma countless times, but this was a matter of life or death! Still, Dahlia was unquestionably innocent...

"I know what you're thinking," grinned von Karma, "but I'm afraid the Red Truth is inadmissable as evidence in Hell Court."

"But Dahlia still only mentioned "men" when talking about the other suspects," Phoenix stood up to face the prosecutor. "Perhaps a woman could have used a device?"

"If this is the caliber of your reasoning, then let me snuff it out by introducing you to the Villains Club!"

"Oh ho ho! It's time!" a grand voice boomed around the dungeon! Von Karma snapped his fingers and the cell door behind Phoenix swung open, shocking him; there was surely no one in there earlier! And yet, looking now, multiple obscured shadows stood inside that cell now, illuminated only by a mysterious red light. However, he could neither identify them nor even count how many were there. The first, undoubtedly the owner of the earlier exclamation, dancingly made his exit from the cell and Phoenix promptly fell onto the floor in terror.

"DAMON GANT?" shouted Phoenix.

"How ya doin' Wrighto? Swim much lately?" Gant burst into laughter, clapping his hands in consistent rhythm.

"What are you doing here?" Phoenix asked nervously. "I thought I sent you to prison so many years ago!"

"Yes, and then I was executed and got sent to Hell," Gant smiled. "Just like the rest of our buddies."

Gant gestured behind Phoenix. Phoenix looked behind him and saw Manfred, understanding his point. All of his enemies must have been executed...

 _Wait a minute!_

Phoenix swung his head back towards Gant, anticipating an attack. What he got instead was a man he never wanted to see again.

"Yeah, Mr Lawyer, so you only have yourself to blame for this," said a man as fresh as a spring breeze.

"Matt?" shouted Phoenix, instinctively forming clenched fists out of both of his hands.

"Yes, Matt Engarde is here and don't worry, I still have those scars you carved into my face," Matt grinned wickedly as he took out a glass of wine.

"Ah, but don't we all have scars that etch into the deepest depths of our black-tainted souls..." a much calmer voice said as the source of the red light was next to leave the cell, "...Trite?"

"Godot! I thought we were friends!"

"Ha... the only friends I've ever made are my seventeen cups of coffee."

"Friends are for the weak, and those who are okay with getting betrayed at some point, after all," Kristoph nodded in agreement. _Wait, Kristoph?_

Phoenix suddenly didn't know if he could even trust his senses any more, for he had not even seen him leave the cell!

"Hello, Wright, it seems today is the day," Kristoph folded his arms and looked down upon Phoenix. "The day I finally get revenge for that day Zak Gramarye declared you a better man than I."

"Was my hobo phase not enough for you?"

"Ha," laughed Kristoph. "According to a _very_ reputable source, that was but a result of all that wine you drank!"

"...sure, I always go investigating seven-year-old incidents and make sarcastic jokes when I'm drunk," said Phoenix. "I've told you it's just grape juice!"

"Regardless," smiled Kristoph, "I will be looking forward to joining Satan and Prosecutor von Karma in your endless torture."

"Oh yes," grinned von Karma. "We shall take immense pleasure as we happily tear you apart one limb at a time, on loop, forever!"

"Happily?" Phoenix looked back to see the enigmatic shadowy figure of the phantom before him now. "I do not know the meaning of that word."

"This can't be a coincidence!" Phoenix cried. "All of my evil enemies are involved in this case!"

"Oh, it's no coincidence, Trite," Godot snarled.

"Yes, Wrighto, this crime centers around the Phoenix Wright Hate Society, after all!" Gant cackled.

"Whatever, Gant!" shouted Phoenix. "At least I know one of you has to be the culprit!"

"Oh, Wrighto, there's an easy way to dispute that," smiled Gant.

"Altogether now, everyone..." said von Karma.

" **I'm not the killer,** " said Gant.

" **I'm not the killer,** " said von Karma.

" **I'm not the killer,** " said Matt.

" **I'm not the killer,** " said Godot.

" **I'm not the killer,** " said Kristoph.

" **I'm not the killer,** " said Dahlia, again.

" **I'm not the killer,** " said the phantom.

Phoenix started crying again! Unable to handle the sheer pressure from this impossibility he ran out of the dungeon. There had to be some insane trick to this! There was no way they were all innocent! Von Karma, a corrupt prosecutor who used lies and deceit to prosecute 40 years' worth of innocent defendants and continued to haunt Phoenix as a ghost! Gant, the equally corrupt police chief who had been arrested for murder and also had several charges filed against him for various types of assault, even in prison! Matt, a master deceiver who could manipulate even the best assassin in the world! Godot, a guy who is seen as either a superhero or a supervillain, your mileage may vary. Kristoph, the most evil man in the world who forced Phoenix into poverty all to cover up some petty scheme; the time travel crackpots even claim he did it for no reason! Phantom, a master of disguise who killed Apollo's best friend! And in the center of it all... Dahlia!

The only thing he could do was investigate the Villains Club. There was a door next to him, so he tried knocking to ask for directions.

"Whaddaya want?" said a voice that Phoenix suspected to be pre-recorded.

"Where's the Villains Club?" asked Phoenix.

"So ya want in on our Anti-Phoenix Wright Villains Club, huh?"

 _Huh, that's convenient._

"First, give me the password." A screen on the door lit up, showing a hand holding up all five fingers.

"If this is two..."

The hand on the screen changed; now it was flipping Phoenix off.

"...what's this?"

Before Phoenix could answer, the devil's voice broke into his head by force.

"Time's up, trial's starting now!"

The last thing Phoenix saw was the finger of this unpleasant doorman.

 **To be continued...**


End file.
